


Metallic

by yidae



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hitman AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:12:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yidae/pseuds/yidae
Summary: “W-who are you?” A whisper passed through his lips, that Jihoon regretted.“I think you already know who I am.” He smiled, stroking the gun, in a threatening manner. “I'm the person who killed your friend.”





	Metallic

It was a beautiful sight, almost magical on that Thursday afternoon when the sun was replaced by an overcast that had been consumed by darkness. A grey opaque cloud embraced the sky and the cool April rain poured down, saturating the Earth’s soil, seed, and the life that thrived. Lightning cracked the sky, sending a piercing sound throughout the ears of the city, and the stench of rain reeked of fresh ozone, so murky and moist. Everyone had already confined themselves in the comfort of their home, the place of safety and getaway, but two boys remained amidst the streets of Seoul, running faster than they ever ran before. _Squish squish squish,_ the melody orchestrated beneath their feet, as the water began to seep through the soles of their shoes, brimming over like a bathtub with the tap left on far too long. One might’ve speculate _why_ this was a beautiful and magical day, but the truth was it _wasn’t_ , although it was for the two boys who were now skipping over puddles, avoiding the clear liquid from drenching onto their clothes. 

 

“Run faster,” The taller but younger boy said, “We’re getting soaked.”

 

“You think I don’t know that Guanlin-ah?” The shorter but older boy replied, while covering his head with a textbook. “This is why I said we should of left work earlier, but _no,_ you insisted that we should stay.” 

 

“Hey, I guess you could say that I really needed those hours; money is hard to come by.” The boy named Guanlin chucked, forming a small smile on his face as his long legs galloped over wet cement. “You sound annoyed but I know that you’re not, Jihoon.” 

 

“And why’s that?” The boy named Jihoon quickly asked, as he narrowed his eyes at his best friend, who was currently smirking at him with mischievous eyes.  

 

“Because you never get annoyed at me or mad. You just can’t, no matter how hard you try. You _care_ too much about me, hyung, That’s a fact.” 

 

Before Jihoon could open his mouth to retract what Guanlin had said, the younger had already sprinted away, leaving him behind to catch up. Instead, Jihoon shook his head and snickered as he scurried after the boy, like a lost child after having found his mother. _This kid is really something_ , he thought as he splashed water over the rip bottoms of his jeans. “Guanlin-ah, wait up for me!”

 

After passing dozens of stores, merely one shop remained open for the wet scavengers. _Lost Treasures_ , the signage read, engraved on burnt umber plank, which hung above the creaky door. _That needs to be fixed,_ Jihoon pondered, but shrugged his shoulders as he continued to enter the store. Upon arrival, the fine tune of Donawhale’s “I Love You More Than The Universe” overwhelmed the cozy shop from the speakers overhead, a soothing song that did not seem to complement the likes of the weather. 

 

“Hello.” An elderly woman’s voice echoed, aware of the new customers in her store. She was short with curly black hair, with a welcoming appearance. “I didn’t think there will be any customers today with the weather like this. Come in.” 

 

Simultaneously, Jihoon and Guanlin bowed then made their way into the shop, dragging behind damped squeaky shoes that wetted the tiled floor. Water dripped from their hair, faces, and clothes, forming a small puddle underneath. “I’ll get you two some towels.” The elderly woman said in a friendly manner, disappearing through the back door located behind the cashier counter.  

 

While waiting for her return, the two boys looked around in awe, wondering what sort of place they walked themselves into. There were vintage looking electronics scattered around, some incredibly antique looking, while some things simply were broken. Dispersed upon tables of peony pink were a variety of items: cameras, lamps, microwaves, tarnished rice cookers, and old cassette players. Besides from electronics, there were also dusty books, feather pens, stamps from different countries, and assortments of different objects that Jihoon couldn’t comprehend why it was being sold in this tiny shop. “What is this place?” He asked Guanlin, who eyes were also scanning around, but unlike Jihoon who was bewildered and slightly disgusted, Guanlin looked mesmerized, as if enchanted by an alluring spell casted by a mystical witch of the forbidden forest. 

 

“I don’t know, but I love this place.” Guanlin replied as he picked up a book and dusted it, reading the cover slowly. He put it back down when they heard the steps belonging to the woman. She arrived holding two white towels in her arms and beckoned the boys to retrieve one each. 

 

“This is an antique shop,” She explained while she handed each of them a towel. “It’s also a pawn shop. That’s why my husband and I named it _Lost Treasures,_ because all of the stuff you see here are preowned, once cherished deeply by someone and now looking for new owners to treasure them now.”  

 

“Well anyways, it looks like you two aren’t here to shop, but are actually here to stay until the rain calms.” The two boys nodded, embarrassed as they wiped themselves dry with the towel. “That’s fine,” she continued, “Make yourselves comfortable! I’m just glad you are safe inside instead of out in the cold, where you could potentially catch a flu.” 

 

She left the two alone and returned to the cashier desk, where she had a laptop that was playing some drama. Jihoon turned around but Guanlin had already disappeared in the depts of the shop. “Guanlin, what are you looking at?” He asked, standing in the camera section where Guanlin was currently in. 

 

Guanlin who now had his towel wrapped around his shoulders, wet brown hair slicked back, picked up a chunky old black camera from the peony pink table. His slim fingers stroked the sides, feeling for dents and cracks. He held it up high above him, squinting his eyes as if he were seeing if was broken. “Isn’t this perfect?” He inquired to Jihoon, eyes still fixated on the foreign item that Jihoon swore was an ancient artifact from the Ming dynasty.  

 

“Um, I guess so?” He bit his lip into a thin line as he lied through his teeth. Guanlin was absorbed by the camera, but quite frankly, Jihoon thought it was a piece of garbage - putting it in the nicest way, of course. “Are you going to buy it?” 

 

Guanlin with his long fingers, turned the white tag that was attached around. Immediately after seeing the price, he gasped audibly and put the object back down on the table. “It’s too expensive.” He simply stated, as his face deviated from happiness into disappointment. 

 

“How much?” Jihoon grabbed the camera, revealing the price that made Guanlin turn from a happy puppy to a sad one. _40 dollars._ He rolled his eyes. The camera was way too expensive to be sold at such a price. It wasn’t even a digital camera; it was one of those old film cameras that required the film to be developed into pictures. _This place is a joke,_ he thought. It sold items that were neither lost or treasures. He looked around again and saw beat up microwaves, broken TVs, and books with pages ripped out. These were some of the “gems _”_ that he saw, including the camera. He turned to Guanlin. “Don’t bother.” 

 

Guanlin nodded his head, as his eyes retained the same expression of gloom. He walked into another aisle to venture, and Jihoon dragged a chair he found near the door and sat. He pulled out his phone and played a game; he loved playing games, be it mobile, PC, video games, Jihoon simply _loved_ games. He opened the application for a rhythmic game that he recently download, fingers aggressively synchronizing with the beat. He was entranced.  

 

He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but when he looked outside the window, he knows it’s time to leave when the warm yellow array of light shone inside, casting bright pleasant hues of sunflower and daisies upon the white canvas of the walls of the store and on his puffed cheeks. He glanced at the brick coloured, grandfather clock that hung on the wall; it read 1:30 pm. They already been here for an hour and a half. He packed his phone away into his pocket, tapping on the denim to keep it in place and went to search for Guanlin who was still somewhere, lost between shelves upon shelves as if were inside a maze. 

 

“Guanlin-ah,” He called, “It’s time to go.” 

 

“Hyung, I’m here.” He heard Guanlin shout back. Jihoon followed the source of the voice and located Guanlin in the camera section, at the same spot that he had left him. As if Guanlin never placed the chunky camera down and walked away, there he stood again, holding it in his hand. 

 

“Let’s go.” He repeated to Guanlin, tugging the sleeves of the taller boy’s navy blue pullover. “We should head home now.”

 

Guanlin broke his eyes away from the camera, and then directed them onto Jihoon. “Okay, let’s go.” He whispered softly, putting the object down once more. They wave goodbye to the elderly woman, who puts a hand up in response, while eyes still glued to her screen and they leave, walking side to side. As they stroll at a leisurely pace down the streets of Seoul, which is now illuminated by light, Guanlin places his hands in his pocket, head faced down. 

 

“Did you really like the camera that much?” Jihoon asked firmly, reading every reaction that conveyed on Guanlin’s now surprised face. 

 

“Y-yes I do, I always wanted to own one, but like we both said, it’s too expensive.” 

 

That was all the confirmation Jihoon was looking for. “Wait here.” He replied, while he turned the opposite direction, leaving Guanlin, who was looking confused. Jihoon opened the door to the store and was greeted by the same lady once more.  

 

“Oh, you’re back.” She uttered in an unsurprised way, eyes never breaking away from her screen. As if reading Jihoon’s mind, she continued. “I’ll give you the camera for $30 if you really want, but no refunds or exchanges.” Jihoon grabbed the camera and placed exact change derived of crumpled bills on the cashier table, and left. Before he left, he bowed his head and gave his sincere gratitude.  

 

Subsequently, Jihoon rushed to Guanlin who was leaned against a brick wall, with his head still down. He raised his chin upon Jihoon’s return with curious eyes. “What was that about?”

 

“Here.” Jihoon shoved the brown paper bag into Guanlin’s hands. “It’s for you.” 

 

Guanlin peered inside to inspect the contents and then he immediately embraced the elder into a tight squeeze. Pressing his chest against Jihoon’s, he hugged tighter and then he let go. Guanlin was now smiling, smiling so hard that a faint indentation appeared on his left cheek; it was his dimple, which only revealed itself when he was extremely happy.  

 

“Thank you.” Guanlin said, eyes sparkled while he finally gave Jihoon that smile that he was so accustomed to. 

 

“Anything to make my one and only friend happy again.” Jihoon responded, reciprocating the beaming grin that was given to him. “But remember things aren’t free! If I get one problematic table at the cafe, you’re serving them.” 

 

“Fine.” Guanlin murmured without hesitation. “I’ll bus your tables too while I’m at it!”

 

It was a beautiful sight, almost magical on that Thursday afternoon, when Guanlin’s solemness was replaced by excitement and laughter, and how the universe seemed to agree, replacing darkness with illuminating fluorescent. When the rain cleared and washed away, leaving the sky cloudless with transparency, a rainbow formed, replacing what was once unsightly with loveliness. It was a beautiful sight, almost magical because Guanlin was the rainbow that replaced darkness. 

 

— 

 

“Jihoon! Table two on the patio requires your assistance!” Sungwoon called out, gesturing him to hurry. Sungwoon was a highly enthusiastic short man, in his early twenties, who possessed caramel locks that complimented his soft facial features. His eyes were wide and clear, filled with hyper energetic emotion, and he wore spectacles that made him look proper. He was sometimes way too happy and way too excited for Jihoon to comprehend, but Sungwoon was also his boss, so he kept his mouth shut… _most of the times._ “They been without a server for ten minutes now, quickly.” 

 

Jihoon who was currently in the midst of tying his server apron around his waist gave his boss a thumbs up to indicate that he had heard. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he walked out into the patio of Bean Cafe & Eatery, the place where he was currently employed. The cafe was casual and cute, perfect for a quick bite with your loved one or friend, but horrible for prolonged visits. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans, tea leaves, and decadent desserts saturated the atmosphere in the air with warmth. Underneath the chatter of customers, the sound of instrumental music could be heard, faintly strumming in his ears, enough to put one at ease. Although Jihoon hated his job at times, this was his second home. Going home with clothes drenched in the aroma of afternoon coffee breaks, cherry blossoms and two o’clock gossip was not an unusual addition to his routine; it was a familiar feeling, a feeling of comfort and serene. 

 

_Earlier that morning, Sungwoon had violated his dreams of tranquility with a phone call that Jihoon did not expect to get on his day off. “Can you come in?” Sungwoon pleaded on the phone, naturally sparing formalities such as “good morning” because he likes to get straight to the point._

 

 _“I thought Daewhi was scheduled to open.” Jihoon murmured back, using the back of his hand to suppress a yawn. He rubbed his weary eyes, headache commencing around the temples of his head, carving down into his brain, retracting into his skull._  

 

_“He called in sick.”_

 

 _“He’s lying. He’s probably on a date with that new guy, Baejin.”_  

 

_“Which is why we shouldn’t bother them.” His boss chimed in a cheery tone, projecting his voice at an octave far too high for his usual register._

 

_“So what you’re telling me is that it’s not okay to bother them because they are on a date, but it’s perfectly fine to bother me on my day off while I was sleeping?”_

 

 _“Yes, truthfully. My Guanlin’s working today as well so I thought you wouldn’t mind.”_  

 

_Jihoon groaned while he emerged from the confinements of his bed, knocking the thick fluffy duvets onto the carpet. He located his rimmed glasses and shoved them on, placed his small feet into his pink, memory foam slippers and slugged haphazardly towards the bathroom to wash up, mind carrying his body, soul still sound asleep._

 

 _“Fine, I’ll be there soon.”_  

 

While he’s outside, the scent of cherry blossoms tickle his nose, almost resulting in a imminent sneeze, but he quickly pinched it to suppress his urge. Petals pirouetted elegantly down to his shoes, forming a dainty bed upon the concrete, specks of pink, yellow, and white. There were customers waiting for him and they definitely wouldn’t want a server who sneezed during his job because it was unhygienic. As he made his way towards table two, the gentle wind danced between his fingertips as he got out out his notebook and pen.  

 

“Hi there, my name is Jihoon and I’m glad to be your server today.” He introduced himself to the two middle aged woman who were seated. It was a phrase that he always said as an ice breaker, the phrase that haunted him in his dreams, an agonizing reminder that he had to maintain _the customer is always right_ persona. “Are you two ready to order?” 

 

“Are we ready to order?” The woman with the large sun visor hat repeated in a mocking tone, as she clicked her teeth loudly. “We _been_ ready for ten minutes already.” 

 

“We’re not _glad_ either.” Her friend, with the bushy eyebrows chimed in. She scrunched up her face as she took one last look at the menu. Before Jihoon could prepare himself she continued. “One water on ice, one green tea with nothing inside, a garden salad, and an eggs Benedict to share, bread lightly toasted, no butter, but margarine instead. Tell them to put it on separate plates while you’re at it, and also no salt or garlic powder in anything. I’m allergic and also put lots of ice in the water. I like ice.” 

 

They shove the menus in Jihoon’s preoccupied hands and continue on their series of mundane conversations consisting of ex-husbands and spa dates, without giving him a second glance. Jihoon forced a cheeky smile that displayed his dazzling white teeth, turned on his heels and made his way back into the restaurant, smile automatically faltering as soon as he turned his back. “I fucking hate this job sometimes.” He muttered quietly under his breath, hoping that the two women wouldn’t hear him, but at the same time, also kinda hoping that they would. 

 

“What do they want?” Sungwoon asked him, while standing next to the POS system, the computer which digitalized pen and paper orders into their system onto white slips of paper. Jihoon repeated the order, _exactly_ the way it was said to him, in the _same_ degrading tone that the woman gave off.  

 

“I guess they were quite a handful, I presume?” Sungwoo replied sheepishly, while he inputted the orders into the computer that would then be sent back in the kitchen for the chefs to make.  

 

“You think?” Jihoon huffed as he grabbed cutlery from the kitchen, wrapping white clothed napkins around them, tightening the sides. His shoulders sagged due to exhaustion; he was on his fifth hour of his ten hour shift. He lined the cutlery as well as the drinks that were so specifically ordered onto a black serving tray. His hand shook as he tried to find the perfect balance, nearly dropping the tray on the ground. 

 

“Let me help you with that.” 

 

Tender long fingers aligned themselves under the hard plastic, whisking the tray right under Jihoon’s hands. Guanlin was leaning against the left side of the server station, scrutinizing his every move, as he put the tray down on the table so that he could talk to his best friend. 

 

“Are you okay?” The boy questioned Jihoon, eyes filled with worry. He wore the restaurant uniform, which consisted of black slacks, black button up, and chocolate brown oxfords. His hair was styled down, soft downy chestnut brown hair teasing his eyes and he wore a dainty baby blue ribbon that tied itself on the collar of his blouse. If Jihoon were merely a customer, he would have believed that Guanlin was a model, rather than a server. 

 

“Well, for starters, I’m pissed off Daehwi called in sick.” Jihoon started listing in no particular order, his pen twirling between his fingers. He pointed the tip of the pen on his bottom lip and mused. “I’m also not okay because table two are assholes. Just my luck right?” 

 

“That sounds like a typical Saturday. You know how weekends are; people like to rush in and out. They’re a handful, I’ll agree.” 

 

“When did you clock in? I didn’t even know you were working today until this morning.” 

 

“I clocked in just now actually.” Guanlin articulated with reluctance, hand combing his bangs away from his eyes, exposing his forehead. “I actually picked up some more shifts. I’m almost working full-time hours now.” 

 

“Are you crazy? How are you going to manage that many hours with school?” 

 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll find a way. I just need a proper balance.” 

 

“Why do you need so many hours anyways?” 

 

“Just helping my parents out! I’m a filial son okay, don’t judge!” Guanlin pouted. He pressed his fingers to his chin. “Do you want me to help you out? I owe you for buying me the camera.” 

 

“Please. I beg you.” The corners of Jihoon’s mouth lifted upwards into a desperate smile, as he clasped both hands together, praying.  

 

Guanlin ruffled Jihoon’s hair and laughed. “Hyung, you’re too cute.”

 

Before picking up the tray full of drinks and cutlery and walking towards to the patio, Guanlin gave Jihoon a wink of reassurance. As he pushed the door with his back to enter the patio, he gave a thumbs up to Jihoon. “I got this.” He mouthed. 

 

Jihoon formed a heart with his two fingers as a response, then grabbed a basketful of silverware to set on the tables. He went around and delicately placed chopsticks, spoons, and  forks for every seat that was at the rounded tables. While he was lost in the train of work, Sungwoon came up to him with next week’s schedule in his hand. 

 

“Hey do you know why my Guanlin is taking on more shifts all of a sudden?” He asked, clapping a hand over Jihoon’s shoulder, giving him an awkward tight squeeze. “I’m not sure if I feel so comfortable giving my cute son so many hours when he has school.” 

 

“He said he’s helping his parents out.” Jihoon believed this to be true, since Guanlin’s family always had reoccurring financial liabilities. If he could remember, when they first met, Guanlin mentioned that his parents lived beyond their means, spending more than they could afford. 

 

“If he’s helping out, then I guess I can’t really say anything. Poor kid though. Someone his age shouldn’t even have a job; they should be enjoying their youth.” 

 

Sungwoon was absolutely correct; Guanlin was wasting his youth away. He started his job at the restaurant two years ago, at the measly age of fourteen as a young dishwasher scrubbing away at silver and porcelain, never missing a speck of food. At the time his words were a dangly string of stumbling and slurred accented Korean, having just moved from Taiwan at the time. He got promoted to a server after Sungwoon had seen how hardworking and determined he was, and he been working non-stop ever since, but never this many hours. Guanlin was too young and innocent to be spending most of his time indoors, while the rest of teenagers his age were out playing. Since they were best friends, Jihoon was extremely worried. Sometimes, after they have finished their shift, he would ask Guanlin to come over to his house to play games. After playing two rounds, Guanlin would usually fall asleep on Jihoon’s bed from exhaustion. It strained him to see his friend suffering; he wished he could help. 

 

After Jihoon had set ten of the restaurant tables, wiped the windows, and dusted the shutters, he read his watch. _Three o’clock in the afternoon._ He had three hours of torture left.

 

—

 

It was a Friday evening, the hour of the day where shadows of the trees started to awaken, rush hour traffic hummed, and high school students with their sporadic laughter echoed. The sun was still casting its warm orange undertones on the concrete, the air gently waltzed with the nature and emitted a light breeze, just the right kind of breeze, not too little, not too much. It was quite a perfect day that most people were outdoors, making the most out of the exquisite day, but not Jihoon and Guanlin. They planted themselves indoors, willingly.

 

The restaurant was closed early for the day, due to a lack of customers, which was surprisingly odd for a Friday. Sungwoon had sent the two boys home early, laughing. _“Enjoy your day, my sons. Smell the cherry blossoms and bask in the kindness of the sun because you won’t get another chance like this in awhile. Not on my watch!”_ It was rather the typical response one would expect to hear from their lovely short boss. _Quite_ typical.

 

But they weren’t at work, so they needn’t to listen to Sungwoon. Guanlin was laying on his back on Jihoon’s bed watching TV, while Jihoon sat in front of his computer, eyes glued to the screen as if he were child with their hand stuck in a jar of honey, hand not wanting to come out.  

 

“Hyung, turn around!” The boy called Jihoon’s name, twirling his finger in a circular motion, signifying the older to rotate. While on his stomach, he leaned his tall body forward onto the edge of the bed, with his hands that grasped an inanimate object. 

 

“What is it now, Guanlin-ah? Can’t it wait until I’m done?” Jihoon replied, as he spun around from his computer chair, pausing his game to meet the gaze of his best friend. His facial expression softened as he became aware of the foreign item that was held by Guanlin’s slim long hands. It was Guanlin’s camera; that chunky thing that he bought at the local thrift shop in Seoul that one Tuesday three weeks ago.

 

“Smile!” Guanlin said happily, as he aimed the camera down, perpendicular to Jihoon’s face. He adjusted the lenses and looked through the pinhole and clicked the button. _Flash._  

 

“Hey!” Jihoon shouted, as he landed a playful hit on the younger boy’s shoulder. “You never ever warm me when you take a picture. I look so disgusting right now, can you not?” It was probably the twentieth photo that Guanlin took of him, each one captured without his regard. He was slightly annoyed but also slightly not because it was Guanlin and Jihoon doesn’t like to get mad at Guanlin. 

 

“But you look so good in this picture!” Guanlin replied, while making an innocent pout. He placed the camera on the bedside table. 

 

“How do you even know? That’s not a digital camera, Guanlin-ah. That’s a piece of junk that you have to take to a shop for them to manually develop the photos for you.” 

 

“This piece of junk was only 40 dollars! That’s literally free.”

 

“40 dollars is definitely not free; if anything, it’s a complete rip off since it’s preowned. And also, that’s 40 dollars of _my_ money.”

 

And as if Guanlin finally remembered, he leapt out of the bed and pinned Jihoon down on the floor, and wrapped his arms around Jihoon. He put his head in Jihoon’s chest and covered his face with his fist. “Hyung, I’m sorry. I’ll owe you back for sure one day, please don’t get mad. Money is pretty tight right now at home.” 

 

Jihoon softened his face and placed his hand on the boy’s head, and gently he caressed and played with the brown strands of feathery hair. His heart dropped down to his knees, and he felt a tinge of regret bite him in the neck, piercing holes of shame through his skin. He felt sorry for getting mad at Guanlin, because he never gets mad at Guanlin. He couldn’t bear the thought of this boy, whom he known for years get sad over a matter so miniscule. It’s just not worth the effort when they only had each other to rely on. 

 

“No, I’m sorry,” He said, “I didn’t mean to raise my tone with you; I know our friendship is more valuable than that. And about the camera, hyung was only teasing you. It’s a gift after all; I don’t expect you to owe me anything.” He brought his finger and caressed Guanlin’s right ear, twirling rounded circles behind, a sensitive spot that Jihoon touched to make Guanlin laugh. Guanlin was ticklish. 

 

“H-hyung, thank you. Stop! ” Guanlin laughed, as he tried to dodge the attack by bridging his shoulder and ear together, head elevated to the side. Jihoon attempted to tickle the younger boy once more, but failed. The younger boy took the given opportunity to tickle Jihoon instead, hands poking at a furious speed at his soft stomach. Jihoon let out a yelp and fell to his side, hands barricading his stomach. They both embarked on a series of everlasting giggles, like two peas in a pod. Once memorable laughter was replaced by soothing silence, Guanlin looked up at Jihoon and smiled. His smiled displayed his dimple, that rare indentation that only appeared when Guanlin was extremely happy. Jihoon _loved_ that delicate dimple. He nodded his head and the two boys sat, with Jihoon’s legs sprawled out and Guanlin resting his head on the older boy’s chest, listening to the tired thump of his heart.  

 

“Jihoon hyung?”

 

“Yes, Lin-ah?” Jihoon answered, looking down to see what Guanlin was going to say. He was met with bright clear eyes, that twinkled like a lone star at night.  

 

“Earlier you asked me how I knew you looked good in the photo, right?” 

 

Jihoon nodded his head, allowing the younger to continue, bringing his hand onto the boy’s head once more, fingers agilely tousling his brown hair.  

 

“I know because you always look good; you always look perfect to me.”

 

—

 

One night near the end of June, right after their twelve hour shift, Jihoon and Guanlin stood outside of the restaurant door, staring attentively at the sky with awe, as if they were trying to capture the galaxies with their eyes. They watched the thick clouds clear away, revealing the illuminating moon, so iridescent, so blue. Nighttime white noise buzzed through their ears, as they looked out at the stars, who as a response, shone their twinkle at them, oh so _lovely._  

 

“It’s beautiful.” Guanlin gasped, as he gazed at the starry overhead, eyes wide with astonishment. He points to the gleaming stars and grabbed a handful, then turned to Jihoon with his hands open. “Take one, hyung. Before they fly away back to their home.” 

 

Jihoon reached out and grabbed Guanlin’s imaginary star and as if it were a tangible object, he tucked the gift into his chest pocket, assuring it was sealed in place with his tiny black button. 

 

“Thank you for your endowment, kind sir. I’ll release this luminous present of yours in my room so that it can shine above my bed, a haunting reminder that you’ll always be watching me. _Always._ ”

 

The boys laughed at their outrageous antics, and looked towards the moon once more. “Wait, I want to take a picture of this.” Guanlin said, rummaging through his beaten messenger bag, which had notable rips and tears. He found his camera and pointed it at the sky, but then lowered it back down. “Jihoon, hyung. Can you stand in front of me?” 

 

Jihoon obliged as he stood in front of Guanlin, hands down at his side, looking straight at the camera. He had already gotten used to the idea of having his picture taken spontaneously, something Guanlin now frequently did. “What pose should I make this time?”

 

“Just be yourself,” Guanlin replied, eyes peering through the pinhole, as he adjusted himself in the perfect position to take a photo. He crouched down, one knee on the ground, as he angled the camera upwards to his elder. 

 

Jihoon formed a heart with his hands, _cheesy_ perhaps, but exactly the kind of thing he knew that Guanlin would liked. “Perfect.” Guanlin whispered under his breath, as he clicked down on the button. As he began to place the camera back, Jihoon hit his fingers and grabbed the object out of Guanlin’s hand. 

 

“What are you doing?”  

 

“It’s your turn, Guanlin-ah.” Jihoon smiled, while leading his best friend in front of him. “You never ever took a photo of yourself yet, so now it’s the time. Hurry!” 

 

The boy gave Jihoon a puzzled look, then hesitantly stepped in front of him. Jihoon eyed him down and chuckled. “You look stiff as a board. Obviously you don’t have the same modelling skills as I have. Come on, loosen up.” 

 

Guanlin eased his shoulders and relaxed, giving a gummy smile to the camera. His smile was natural and wide, finely protruding his dimple that Jihoon admired and loved. Jihoon steadied the camera and pointed it towards the boy. He looked through the pinhole and saw Guanlin looking back at him as well, and clicked the button which then emitted a bright flash. “Excellent.” 

 

What Guanlin didn’t know was that before Jihoon captured the photo, he took an extra few seconds to stare happily at his friend, who somehow looked quite captivating. Sure, the moon and the stars were lovely on this ethereal like night, but Jihoon thought Guanlin looked even more lovelier. 

 

— 

 

“Can you walk me home tonight?” Guanlin asked shyly, as he diverted his eyes away from Jihoon’s, looking down at his shoes instead, which were black vans with the shoelaces tucked in instead of being tied. They had just reached the crossroad that diverged into two separate paths, with the left side heading towards Jihoon’s house, while the right going to Guanlin’s. Usually, this would be where they said their “goodbyes” and split, both heading back to their respective homes, but _not_ tonight. Tonight was different.

 

“Of course I can, Guanlin-ah. Come here!” Jihoon agreed without hesitation, as he stretched out his arm for Guanlin to link on. This was the first time that Guanlin had asked him for such a favour, so he wouldn’t deny to assist. Furthermore, he wanted to spend a bit more time together with his best friend, who happened to look quite charming tonight. His downy chestnut brown locks were styled up, revealing his forehead, which Jihoon thought made him look quite mature, handsome and perhaps even…alluring. 

 

Instead of interlocking his arms with Jihoon’s as accustomed to, alternatively, he grabbed Jihoon’s hand and slowly aligned his long slim fingers in between the older’s. Additionally, to Jihoon’s surprise, the boy intertwined his fingers into a tight grip, palm pressed against palm, like he was holding on for dear life.  Jihoon tensed under the unfamiliar touch, almost forgetting to breath as he felt the light airy feeling of jitters punctuate his heart, leaking out the secret emotions that were harboured inside. As if this was all second nature, Guanlin continued. “It’s just… I’ve been pretty frightened these days, you know, walking home by myself.”

 

 _Oh, he’s just scared,_ Jihoon registered, his conscious blatantly reminding him that this was Guanlin, his _best friend_ Guanlin, the boy who he knew since he was seventeen Guanlin, you know that Guanlin! _Get a hold of yourself, what’s gotten into yourself?_ Jihoon bit down on his lip as he tried to suppress the quickening pace of his heart, that was currently running a marathon without his permission, with Guanlin waving at the end of the finish line with a bright smile and chocolate chip cookies. “Why’s that? You usually walk home all the time these days. You work almost every day of the week, so aren’t you used to it by now?”

 

“I was but not anymore. I just feel so unsafe, you know, like someone is watching me, or perhaps even following me. Last week, I even tried to take a picture to use the flash to see if someone was there, but there wasn’t.” 

 

“Trust me, I get the same feeling. You’re not alone,” Jihoon reassured, “When we’re out in the dark by ourselves, it’s easy for our minds to create depictions of horror and fright but in actuality, we are the one’s who are scaring ourselves. Our minds warp our perceptions and hypnotizes our mind into thinking that these unreal occurrences are reality, when they are just figments of our imagination.” 

 

“I-I guess you may be right.” Guanlin slowly replied, still walking while staring down at his shoes, as if he had something important on his mind. “Maybe I’m just overreacting since I’m walking home after long shifts; it’s most likely just my mind playing some sort of trick on me.” 

 

While walking hand in hand, Jihoon’s heart was still up in high limits, not wanting to deflate, as if he were a balloon that was continuously getting pumped and pumped with helium. He’s pretty sure that Guanlin could feel his palms moisten, but the younger boy doesn’t say anything. 

 

“By the way,” Guanlin added in, changing the subject, “I think I know what kind of career I want to pursue… I kind of like the idea of being a photographer, taking pictures for a living, you know? Do you think that’ll be a good idea?” 

 

“Guanlin-ah, I think that’s a excellent idea. I’m not really shocked, to be honest. I mean, you are really passionate when it comes to taking pictures.” 

 

The next sentence that escaped from Guanlin’s lips almost caused him to faint. “Let’s rephrase that. I’m not just really passionate about taking pictures, but I’m really passionate when it comes to taking pictures of you.” He corrected Jihoon, eyes brought up to wander said person’s reaction. Jihoon’s not sure what to feel, but if he were quite honest with himself, he kind of liked it a lot. By a lot, he meant _a lot._ He looked at his watch and it’s five past twelve, a new day has started. 

 

They’re standing in front of Guanlin’s house and by the way the taller boy was slumped with his shoulders against the door instead of opening it conveyed to Jihoon that it wasn’t time for him to leave just yet. Instead, the next action Jihoon took was a combination of intuition and chance, maybe with some impulsiveness blended in with some sprinkles on top, making room for a very sweet and a very decadent treat. Not knowing what possessed him to act upon instincts instead of logic, he pressed his chapped lips against Guanlin’s and gently caressed the boy’s soft lips with his own. Guanlin smiled through the kiss, but then he took control and cupped Jihoon’s chin to reel him further into a sweet, chaste kiss that Jihoon would never forget. 

 

On July 7th was when they shared their first kiss, hidden under the shingles of rooftops, under the mistletoe of the white moon, while giggling fondly. On July 7th was when they deviated from friendship into a relationship, forming a bond closer than best friends through their multiple whispers of “I like you’s” and “you’re mine”. On July 7th was when they finally decided to set a date for the upcoming evening, which would consist of ferris wheels, chocolate cake, and cute couple photos. And on July 7th was when they shared their last kiss, hidden under the scars of their hearts and under the ominous sky, who was knowingly crying.

 

—

 

Just before seven o’clock in the morning, the phone rang. Jihoon looked at his phone to see who it was and frowned; it was Sungwoon. Jihoon had already woken up, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. He was scheduled to work the opening shift today, so he was quite surprised to see his boss calling him when it was nowhere near the start of his workday. But it _was_ Sungwoon after all - a man _or_ possibly a madman with a million surprises up his sleeve, some containing actual surprises while most containing daggers disguised as surprises. It was most likely the latter, Jihoon presumed. Sungwoon was most likely calling to ask him to take someone’s shift, like he always did. _Not a chance._

 

“Good morning, Sungwoon.” He greeted happily, forcing himself back from projecting a snicker in amusement. “If you are going to ask me to cancel my evening plans so that I can work a double shift, I can’t. I have a date today, _surprisingly._ Before you laugh at me and ask who it is, I’ll tell you right off the bat; it’s Guanlin. Yes, _that_ Guanlin. O _ur_ Guanlin. Y _our_ Guanlin, whatever. In fact _._ I promised Guanlin that I was going to take him to the amusement park to ride on the ferris wheel and take cute and adorable photos of ourselves. And then after that we are going to _Lost Treasures_ to develop the beautiful photos taken from his camera. Did he tell you that he wanted to be a photographer by the way? I’m so proud of him. But yeah, anyways, what I’m trying to say is that, yes I’ll be free later today, but no I’m not free to take that extra shift.” 

 

A long silence filled the other side, which made Jihoon double check to see if his phone was disconnected. It wasn’t. 

 

“Sungwoon? Did you hear all of that or do I have to repeat myself again but this time with far more excitement to match your habitual enthusiastic personality?” 

 

“Jihoon… Oh, Jihoon…” He finally heard Sungwoon’s voice, but to his shock and dismay, his boss’ voice wasn’t in its usual cheery tone that his ears were accustomed to. Instead, Sungwoon’s voice sounded distraught and shaky, his breath staggering over each syllable at uneven intervals. He was _crying._  

 

“Uh Sungwoon?” He asked, worried, yet confused. “Are you okay? Did Baejin quit or something? I knew he was a shitty server, so I was expecting it. If you are short-staffed or something, I can change my plans with Guanlin. I’m sure he won’t mind, just please don’t cry. I’m not used to my small little boss crying. I’m more acquainted to you sneering at me with an insidious smirk, while pointing a knife to my back if I don’t clear my tables fast enough.” 

 

“…I’m assuming you haven’t heard the news yet, Jihoon.” Sungwoon’s voice croaked as he sobbed louder. “I am _so_ _so_ sorry to tell you this…. I really didn’t want to be the first person to let you know, but… Guanlin died, Jihoon… He was killed last night.” 

 

Jihoon blinked once, then twice in bewilderment. He was fucking furious.  

 

“What in the world are you talking about? If this is really how you plan for me to take Baejin’s shift, then that’s extremely low of you. There are rare occasions where I found your jokes witty, but this isn’t one of them. What the fuck, Sungwoon? Seriously?”

 

“Jihoon, listen…” Sungwoon begged desperately. “S-someone murdered him; they murdered his whole family.” 

 

“You’re a lying piece of shit! Stop lying! I walked him home yesterday, we had our first kiss, and I said goodbye to him on the phone before I fell asleep. Are you telling me that didn’t happen? That he’s suddenly gone after all that?” 

 

“P-please, Jihoon. Don’t do this…” 

 

“You know what? I’m going to call Guanlin right now to prove to you that he’s just sleeping. You know how he likes to sleep in whenever he gets a chance right? He’s just sleeping and you’re being fucking ridiculous.” 

 

Jihoon hung up the phone and dialled Guanlin’s number, hands quivered as he put the receiver to his ear, almost dropping the phone. _Please please please pick up your phone, my Guanlin-ah. Tell Sungwoon he’s wrong; prove to him that you’re just sleeping.”_  

 

He waited for the other side to ring, as his heart accelerated, beads of sweat rolled down the temples of his forehead. Seconds felt like minutes which then felt like hours which then felt like an eternity. The other side never ranged, but instead remained silent, and then: 

 

_“We’re sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. Please check the number and dial again, or call your operator to help you.”_

 

After hearing the automated message, he threw his phone onto the floor and picked up the remote from his bed stand and turned on the TV. Fumbling with the buttons, he switched the channel to the local morning news. 

 

 _“Four bodies were found this morning in a residential house located on the outskirts of Seoul  after a report was made of gunshots being heard at four o’clock in the morning. Police are still investigating this case, but they have identified the bodies as Lai Guan—“_  

 

Jihoon turned off the TV.  

 

It’s not until he’s out of his room that the realization slapped him on the face, twisted his emotions, and shoved him down onto the ground until he could finally taste the tears that were already streaming down his face, the brininess that reminded him that Guanlin was never coming back. He pictured Guanlin’s handsome face, that he loved _so so_ much, but he couldn’t see it anymore because Guanlin was dead. He’s never going to hear him laugh again, he’s never going to be able to hear Guanlin’s sweet voice, and never going to get another chance to kiss him once more on his soft lips. Guanlin’s name repeated through Jihoon’s mind, body, and soul like a mantra, again and again and again, paralyzing him until he couldn’t move and all he could do was just sit down and _cry._ He’s gone; he’s dead. He’s _fucking_ dead. Jihoon grabbed his chest and felt it obliterate into a million of torn bits, fragments of his heart irreparable and what was worse was that Guanlin wasn’t there to pick up those pieces for him.

 

On July 7th was when Guanlin, a mere boy of sixteen left the world with his dimpled smile, and he left the world leaving Jihoon behind to catch the stars of the skies himself.  

**Author's Note:**

> i am so so so sorry. 
> 
> thank you so much for reading and please! comments, kudos, subscribe if you like my writing. they are really really appreciated and my only source of feedback as a writer than helps me improve! plus they really do encourage and motivate me to write quicker <3.  
> also this will be a 3 part fic and if you want updates or would like to talk to me feel free to hit me on my twitter @pinkguaniin
> 
> oh and shout out for jojie! thank u for being my beta! <3 i love u


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